Returning to Meet Again
by harunekonya
Summary: After a long and painful battle with himself, Hikaru has finally overcome his trial, but his rival has not. Once again, Sai returns; this time with a body of his own, and not just for Hikaru, but for Akira as well. DISCONTINUED.
1. Prologue: A Voice in the Darkness

Author's Note: Okay, this is my first Hikago fic. The following is my own interpretation of the characters, so no OOC-ness as far as I'm aware of. This is a story about Sai, but also about Hikaru and Akira. No pairings as of yet, I don't know if I plan to put in any. The beginning is a bit dark (literally) and angsty, but don't worry, I'll soon add in my usual sense of humor. Nothing is quite as fun to read as something that makes you laugh in my opinion.

I'd also like to further thank those who were kind enough to send me sentence by sentence critiques of this chapter, and yes this is a chapter, which means there will be (hopefully) many more chapters following this. I have corrected the prologue of mistakes readers have pointed out to me, so reread it if you want. This is what happens when I write things at three in the morning, dammit!

Insert whatever disclaimer you'd like. Don't sue me, the characters aren't mine. They belong to Hotta Yumi and co. There. Comments and criticisms are welcome, goodness knows I need a bit of those. Please read and enjoy!

**Prologue: A Voice in the Darkness**

He could hear something calling him from the distance. It was a voice, a voice full of sorrow, full of pain and agony. For a moment he felt himself awakened from deep slumber. A pale, ghostly transparent hand reached toward the sound. He wanted to reassure it…whoever it was that was suffering so.

Moments later, the noise grew louder, and he could distinctly hear the crying accompanying that voice. For a brief instant he thought he recognized who the wailing belonged to, but he could no longer remember his name…yes that's right, he was positive now. The owner of the voice was a young boy. But as he tried once again to remember, a wave of lethargy overcame him, and he felt himself falling back asleep. This was death after all, and a part of death was to forget…

But the sadness of that voice would not leave him, even when he was in the true slumber of death. Flashes at a time, he will find himself awakening, only to be put back to sleep again.

_You must not interfere_…he heard someone say to him. _The boy must learn his true strength…to fall, and climb back up again. He must realize who his true rival is._

Rival? Boy? Who was this boy? The name was on the tip of his tongue, but he could not speak it. Once again weariness overcame him, and as he fell back into the dreamless sleep of death, he heard that someone add one last thing for him and him alone.

_…the key to his strength must be realized now. When he has, the final road to the Hand of God will be complete._

The Hand of God. He could barely recall what it was, but it was enough. The spark to light up his dormant memories began to seep through, and for the first time since death, he dreamed…

* * *

Suddenly he was awake. Wide awake. Around him he could feel the joy reverberating in the darkness. Then…light! He remembered who he was, and what he was here for. Information of the living, of one specific boy, entered his mind. The boy had overcome his trial; he had stood up, and was once again walking the path that had been set for him.

He smiled. He had known that the boy would not fail. After all…

_You may meet him in this form one last time. _

And before he knew it, he saw him, the boy he had wanted to comfort when he could not. The boy he had not wanted to be parted from.

"Sai! You appeared in my dream!"

He eyed the boy affectionately. How he had grown in such a short time!

"Sai, I played Touya today!" he chattered excitedly. "Against him! In the first prelim to the Meijin Tournament. It was a great game…even though I lost." A slight frown appeared on his face at that.

He however, simply smiled happily in response. It had been so long since he'd heard the boy's young, lively voice.

"But Touya and I are going to play hundreds and thousands of games from now on. I agreed to play him at his go salon from time to time. Don't tell Morishita sensei that though," he added, laughing. "Oh yeah! Isumi-san passed the pro exam! Oh! And then Mitani entered the tournament…oh man. So much as happened since you disappeared. There's so much….I want tell you…Sai." At this the boy's happy tone died down, and a melancholy feeling spread across his face.

**"Why did you disappear?"**

There it was. The question he wanted to answer, but couldn't.

"You said you wanted to play forever! Why did you disappear?! I don't understand!"

He continued to smile. Questions such as that will be answered later.

"How did you feel when you disappeared? Were you sad? Or were you smiling, like you are now? I hope…I hope you were smiling."

If only he could speak! Then he could tell the boy what he was thinking!

"Oh yeah, Sai, Touya said that there was another person inside of me. I got all nervous. But I was kind of happy that he realized it. Sai. Sai?"

A ray of light had flashed behind him, and he turned around to watch. The time was up.

_You will be able to see him again_…Kami-sama reassured him.

"Sai, don't go! Say something!"

He couldn't of course, but he could do one last thing before he went. Hands reached into his robes, and he held it out for the boy to receive. Silently, the boy took the fan from his hands.

The second he did, the world returned to darkness. But this time, Sai returned to it happily, because he knew that the darkness was now but a temporary thing.

* * *

There were only two true contenders for the Young Lion's Tournament this year. One was not much of a surprise. Ever since he had entered the world of professional go, Touya Akira had been the winner for both of the Young Lion's Tournaments he had participated in. This was his third. It was therefore, no surprise to see him sitting down at the table in the second round. The first had hardly been worth his attention, his opponent an insei barely of sixteenth rank.

The other contender was a surprise to most of those who were not intimately involved with the Go world. Shindou Hikaru, still a Shodan, and therefore relatively unknown, sat on the opposite of the already famous Third Dan. His complexion did not match at all that of what is to be expected of a Go player, but more like any ordinary boy on the streets of Tokyo. His bleached yellow bangs would have looked more in place in front a video arcade store instead of a goban. The lively, dancing eyes on his face did not match the grave, serious look Touya returned him.

He was not without his own bit of fame however. After all, he was one of the players in the North Star cup. However, most people remembered that he lost both his matches. Others with better memory recalled him as the boy who skipped all his matches early on in his career. Only the higher level players, Touya, and people who knew him well, understood the extent of his talents. As a result, quite a number of the observers watched Shindou Hikaru just as closely as Touya Akira. This was a match they had been waiting for, although secretly, some people felt that it would have been better had the two been matched in the final round, instead of the second. Nevertheless, whoever won this round was going to be the winner. There was no one else who could compete with either of them.

The crowd around the two boys thickened, until it became impossible for anyone at the back to push through for a better look. The soft murmuring lowered until the room became respectfully silent.

"_Onegaishimasu_."

With the ritualistic beginning over with, the two contenders for the tournament win began to play.

Pachi 

An intensive battle for the upper left corner started to begin within minutes of the match. The onlookers watched in surprise. Why were the two boys starting a battle so early in the game?

Pachi

Pachi

As the game moved elsewhere, the crowd watched, silent, tense, and in awe as a beautiful pattern of black and white stones began to form across the board.

Pachi

Touya Akira placed his stone on the board, effectively connecting all the stones on the left side. There was no way they could die now, but that was hardly the main point of worry. In addition to protecting his stones, it also attacked the center, where Shindou held for the most part at the moment.

Pachi

Shindou responded magnificently to his moves. The game slowly played out. Neither boy gave anything less than their best. Neither would the give the other an opening, but…

Touya suddenly realized that in the process of attacking the center, he'd lost initiative in the right side. He stared at the stones. So that was what that odd maneuver had been for—trust Shindou to think of it. For a moment he marveled at the other boy's ingenuity. Shindou Hikaru was after all, his destined rival, right? It was nothing he shouldn't have expected. As they continued to play, Touya realized that he'd lost too much with that slight miscalculation, but still, he played on, until finally, he could do nothing more.

"Arimasen."

"Arigatou gozaimashita."

Cameras flashed in the background, and the silent room immediately burst into noise.

As the room continued to place their attention on the two boys and the game that had just been completed, no one noticed a new figure entering the room. A rich glow of afternoon sun shone through the outside windows to cast a soft light around his figure just before he stepped past the doors. The man was slender, and taller than most people. He was dressed in a white dress shirt, with a light, sky blue top just barely peeking out from underneath. His dress pants were a dark blue, ending with glossy black shoes. Dark, rich purple hair flowed just past his shoulders, and upon his face he wore a slight smile. Long feminine lashes framed soft, gentle eyes, giving him an odd look. At first glance, he looked not over twenty, but the eyes somehow showed that he was much, much older. Hundreds of years older. Clutching a fan gently with one hand, he made his way slowly through the onlookers. Despite themselves, the people parted way for him, closing again tighter than ever as he left. It was not unusual to have people want to press their way toward a game after all, although this stranger seemed to dance gracefully through the crowd, rather than pushing clumsily forward.

"Shall we discuss the game?" Touya asked Shindou, until he noticed that the boy was still staring fixatedly on the board. "Shindou?"

A soft voice chuckled above them. Touya looked up, thinking that it might be Ogata-san, but no…the man stood behind him. Indeed, the older handsome pro was also turning his voice toward the soft chuckle.

A stranger bent over Shindou, placing a hand on his shoulder familiarly. His other hand—holding a fan that looked oddly like the one Shindou carries around—reached toward the go board and prodded at a spot near the edge of the left side.

"If you had taken this spot here," he said softly, "You wouldn't have lost the left side Hikaru."

Shindou began to stir, and stared at the fan pointing at the spot as if awakening from a deep dream. Slowly the eyes trailed from the fan past the arm, until his head and body was turned completely around. He stiffened, and then, in a whirl of action, stood up from his seat. The chair he had sat on previously clattered noisily to the floor.

Nobody could believe it. Tears suddenly flowed down the boy's cheeks. The violet haired man smiled, and straightened to his full height. He was obviously Asian, and yet he was unusually tall. Shindou, just beginning his growth spurt, still barely managed to reach his shoulder.

For a long time the two stared at each other, while everyone else held their breath, sensing that an important interaction was occurring. Touya looked confusedly at the stranger who had caught Shindou's attention. Who was this man? Did Shindou know him from some where? Or was it…a revolutionary thought occurred to him. It couldn't be!

"S-Sai…" a choked, pain, and tear wracked voice said from Shindou.

"It was a good game, Hikaru," the man named Sai said, smiling with pride, "A good game."


	2. Chapter One: The Internet Go Genius Sai

Author's Note: So here is the long awaited second chapter. Sorry for the long wait everybody, but I had been at a place that was a bit…lacking in modern conveniences, at least in the ones that matter. But I've worked diligently, and I hope that after the prologue, this chapter meets everyone's expectation. If I disappoint anyone, I'm sorry! I know I'm not a very good writer, so if you're dissatisfied and want to see something more, just write to me. More criticisms and critiques are appreciated, but keep in mind that this story is unfinished, so the things I don't address now I may address _later_. If you wish to give me ideas or want to see something added, such as a game between Ko Yeong Ha and Sai like someone else suggested, then tell me too! I don't have an outline for this story. It's being written as ideas come to mind. This is meant to be a story that is supposed to satisfy my own personal feeling of lack in the original story, and I wouldn't mind satisfying someone else's lack in the process. The ending of Hikaru no Go as most can testify was certainly lacking in a little luster. This will provide hopefully better closure to the wonderful series.

I'd also like to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews. They have been a delight to read, and the critiques helping me improve were wonderful. Keep them coming!

Now please read and enjoy!

**  
Chapter One: The Internet Go Genius Sai **

"S-Sai…" he choked, just barely able to voice the name of the one person he wanted to see more than anything else.

"It was a good game Hikaru," he said, the familiar gentle smile framing his face, "A good game."

At that point the painful sob he had been trying desperately to hold back broke out from his lungs. He ran forward into the man who had been so many things to him—teacher, friend, father, idol—and threw himself into his chest. He let out another cry, similar to that of a wounded animal, and from there followed heartbreaking, tearful sobs. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and Hikaru thought of nothing else but the arms that were now wrapped comfortingly around him.

The room burst into noise, but Hikaru didn't notice. His mind was focused on other things, his five senses discovering new aspects of the friend he'd thought he'd lost. Sai smelled like the sea; hints of sea foam tickled his nose. He could nearly taste the salt on his lips. The much older man was warm; his arms soft and yet finely muscled. There was an additional feeling of delicacy Hikaru had never noticed before, but he supposed the regal Heian period clothes Sai used to wear hid it all away. Now dressed in modern clothes, it was more than easy to feel the thin frame through the cotton shirt he wore. But best of all, Hikaru could hear _breathing_. Sai was alive, alive in a way he had never been before.

"I'm sorry…" Hikaru said after he calmed down a bit. "I'm so sorry…"

"Sorry?"

"For not letting you play, if I had let you play, you wouldn't have—"

"Even if you had let me play, I would have still left at the same time Hikaru," Sai told him, his voice suddenly hard. Hikaru looked up at him, startled. "But now is not the time to discuss that." Quietly he pulled back from Hikaru and pointed his fan at the game—_his_ game. Hikaru turned around reluctantly, a hand still hanging onto a part of Sai's shirt as if trying to reassure himself that Sai was very real, and very solid.

"Shall we discuss the game…Touya?" he asked. He raised his left arm to wipe away the remaining tears.

Amazingly enough, the room had stayed quiet throughout the exchange. Perhaps the onlookers had felt something special and remained silent just for him. Now with the atmosphere returning to its original state, the noise level rose. Pros and insei whispered conversations at each other. Some were probably dutifully discussing the game, but no doubt most were discussing the new arrival.

From the looks of it, Touya was also dying for an explanation of what had just happened, but he remained politely silent. He wasn't the only one. There were other professional players giving flickering looks from Sai back to Hikaru and back again. From the corner of his eye, Waya was just barely containing himself. Of course, this was nothing compared to Ogata-san, who couldn't take his eyes of the violet-haired newcomer. The customary cigarette in his hand was held two centimeters away from his mouth, forgotten.

Slowly Hikaru released the tiny bit of cloth between his fingers, but as soon as he did, he cast another self reassuring look back at Sai.

"You're staying right?" he asked. "You won't go away anymore?" Then a sudden inspiration came to him. "Hey, Sai, do you want to join in the discussion? Just like old times, ne?"

"Hai!"

There wasn't even hesitation in the other man's voice. Sai came forward, his eyes shining enthusiastically. Immediately Hikaru sat back down at his former seat, his attention only directed at his mentor. The rest of the room was left in the background, their existence now reduced to nothing more substantial than shadows.

"Now, about this left side, if you hadn't been so eager, it might have actually worked, but you missed the timing," Sai immediately began, pointing to the same spot he had spoken of at the moment he had reentered Hikaru's life.

"But if I hadn't put it there, wouldn't Touya have attacked me here?" Hikaru pointed to the cluster of stones just spaces away.

"Yes, but that wouldn't have made a difference," Sai said, pointing to another part of the board. "You see…" and the two started to discuss the rest of the game, completely oblivious to the rest of the people around them.

"No! Don't you see? An ordinary keima would have worked much better here. That was much too reckless! You exposed this side here entirely…"

"That's what this move was for," Hikaru pointed out. "And besides," he added childishly, "I won the game anyways." His eyes glowed with satisfaction. "Right Touya? I told you I'd beat you in an official match sooner or later!"

For some odd reason Touya hesitated before speaking, something that he usually didn't do when it came to go discussions.

"Sai, when you pointed out this move here," he finally said, addressing Sai instead of Hikaru, "what did you mean? I felt that going here would be a much weaker move."

"Touya! Are you ignoring me?" Hikaru demanded loudly.

Akira looked up from the game and gave Hikaru a very cool look that spoke volumes. Even the loud, boisterous, generally insensitive boy caught the reproachful gaze in those turquoise eyes. However, catching it didn't necessarily mean he understood the reasons for the reproof. He was just about to open his mouth again when Sai cut him off.

"My most sincere apologies," Sai said, his eyes showing understanding and just a bit of amusement. The look of amusement was reserved for Hikaru, but not without a great deal of exasperation. "We didn't mean to leave you out of the discussion. Hikaru and I are very close. We haven't seen each other for a very long time." Akira remained quiet, but the reproachful look had softened. Now he mostly looked thoughtful. "Now, about your last question…" he began, this time taking care to include Akira in the conversation. The boy joined in readily, eager to learn all that could be learned.

* * *

It continued for nearly as long as the game, ending abruptly when Sai was forced to cut off both boys' rising voices prematurely. Those familiar with the two rivals' infamous 'discussions' let out a collective sigh of relief. 

"Anymore discussion will be done at your own leisure, _away_ from other people," Sai concluded firmly, giving Hikaru a quiet look before the boy could complain.

"And now that the discussion is over, would you like to introduce us to your friend, Shindou-kun?" Ogata said, interrupting the sudden uncomfortable silence that had settled over the table. He, like the rest of the crowd, had remained relatively quiet throughout the discussion, silently observing Sai's interaction with the two young go prodigies. The moment Shindou had called out the man's name, Ogata Jyudan had had his suspicions. Once the discussion ensued, there was no question about it. There was only one man with such genius who could yet somehow remain relatively unknown to the go world. Sai. It had to be him. The mysterious name on the computer screen now belonged to a real live human being. It was all Ogata Jyudan could do to keep himself from grabbing the surprisingly young and _beautiful_ man and demanding a game right there and then.

"Ah…" Shindou began, grinning sheepishly.

"My name is Fujiwarano Sai," the tall young man said, stepping forward. "You are Ogata Jyudan."

Despite himself, Ogata couldn't help but feel his heart speed up in excitement. Sai knew who he was. Did that mean…?

"Is that so? Fujiwarano Sai…" he repeated, clinging to the last vestiges of dignity he had. "Are you familiar with the internet, Fujiwarano Sai?" The words were out before he could stop himself. So much for dignity, but if he was right—Ogata had to know!

"Hikaru introduced it to me several years ago. I'm afraid I haven't been on there much as of late. Perhaps I should go online more often," Sai said, clearly very amused. At the side, Hikaru was grinning at him, the light of mischief in his eyes matching Sai's. Ogata felt his hands ball into fists in frustration. So he had been right all along. The dratted Shindou did have a connection to Sai, and from the looks of things, a very close one at that. So why had the boy repeatedly denied it when he had asked so many years ago?

Eventually Shindou seemed to feel pity for Ogata's predicament, for his eyes softened in an understanding that was completely unlike him.

"Sai, Ogata Jyudan had been asking to play a game with you for quite a while now, but at the time you weren't in the…condition to give him a game. Would you like to play him now?"

Ogata's heart skipped a beat. Finally, after all this time…

"Sai-san! After you play Ogata Jyudan, could you play me?" a voice loudly exclaimed. Waya had finally lost any self control and blurted out what he had been longing to say.

"Mou, Waya, you've already played him once!" Shindou said.

"As an insei, an _insei_. Now I'm a pro! And remember Shindou when I asked you once if you were Sai's disciple and you _lied_ to me?"

"I didn't lie!"

"Yes you did! I knew you knew Sai! Why'd you keep denying it?"

Shindou opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Instead the wide mouth snapped shut and the boy chose to grace Waya's look with a glare of his own.

"I will play you Waya-kun after I've played Ogata Jyudan," Sai said.

Waya's eyes widened and his mouth stretched into a wide grin.

"You know who I am?" he said with delight.

"Hikaru speaks of you often," Sai answered. "Now, Ogata Jyudan, when would you like to play?"

Ogata's throat had become dry. Much to his chagrin, it was taking forever to moisten his mouth so that he could speak properly.

"Uh…"

"Sai, I'm hungry, how about you?" Shindou interrupted.

The look on Sai's face became unfathomable. "H-hungry?" Sai nearly choked on the word.

"Yeah. Are you?" Shindou had once again softened his voice uncharacteristically. Something deep passed between the two, something that only they could understand, and Ogata marveled at the connection between the two of them. But seeing them together only raised more questions. Why didn't Shindou ever talk about Sai, if they were so close? Why couldn't Sai play with anyone but on the internet? Why had the man only appeared now?

"How about a game tomorrow morning around nine Ogata Jyudan? We'll meet at the lobby of the Go Institute for a game then, okay?" Shindou said. "You too Waya."

"S-sure," Ogata said. He had been planning to attend a discussion, but that could wait!

"So Sai, how about ramen?" Shindou gave Waya a grin. He knew that the other boy loved sushi far more than ramen, and wouldn't be joining them for lunch as a result. Waya rolled his eyes.

Sai sighed exasperatedly. "You really love ramen don't you? Don't you think you eat it a bit too much?"

"No. Besides, you haven't eaten ramen in a long time anyways."

"Indeed," Sai said, his voice become strangely thoughtful, "it has been a long time since I've eaten ramen."

"Then let's go!" Hikaru shouted excitedly. "Hey, Touya! Do you want to come along?"

A smiling, excited face met Touya's grave one, and the latter once again hesitated.

"No. I have other things to do," he finally said carefully.

"You sure?" Hikaru asked, disappointed. "Well, all right then. Let's go Sai."

Dragging the man by the hand, he pushed his way through the crowd, not noticing how he was pushing them rudely away. They might have been as substantial as air for all the attention Hikaru gave them. Sai followed the boy silently, but he didn't look back either. They disappeared through the double doors, leaving nothing but more questions in their wake.

With the game and discussion over the crowd gradually followed Shindou's suit, leaving only two around the still uncleared goban.

"Akira-kun, you don't have anything to do after this, why did you refuse to go with Shindou?" Ogata asked quietly.

Akira looked up at the man, and Ogata saw extreme longing in those eyes, yet…

"I see. You sense it too then."


	3. Chapter Two: The Importance of Rivalry

Author's Note: I'm glad that so many people are enjoying this fic of mine. Please remember that I have other priorities (life, for example), so be patient. I would like to reinforce my decision in making this gen, and not slash. I'm a big fan of HikaAki slash, but this fic will not have it.

Comment, flame, criticise to your heart's content. Please enjoy!

**Chapter Two: The Importance of Rivalry**

It was just like Shindou. It was just like him to make things difficult right when things were going smoothly. Touya Akira was starting to think that the boy had done it on purpose just to irritate him. Then again, Shindou always did things at the worst time. There was that infamous time period for instance; just thinking about it darkened Touya Akira's mood.

It had been shortly after Shindou's career as a go professional began. Akira had thought that their rivalry would finally be able develop at a much quicker pace, but then Shindou suddenly refused to play. It had all been greatly baffling then to Akira, who couldn't conceive of a world without go, never mind refusing to play when it did. It was probably why he didn't have much of a social life outside go circles, but go was the center of his life, and Shindou, as his destined rival, made up a great deal of that center. Shindou not playing had been the greatest upset in his life; it had disrupted his game, although no one but him noticed.

What made it worse however was seeing his rival refuse to play even when it was blatantly obvious that he _loved_ the game. Shindou's gray-green eyes—usually so brilliant—had been both dull and colorless as he looked at him. Dry, colorless lips moved, and Akira had stared at him, disbelieving, as Shindou told him that although he hadn't lost interest in go, he was going to deliberately give it up. Nothing had frightened him more than that moment, when he found out that the idea of their rivalry collapsing wasn't the key to bringing him back to go. At that point Akira wondered how strong their rivalry was. He questioned Shindou, questioned himself. Perhaps he was mistaken; perhaps Shindou wasn't his destined rival after all.

"_Shindou, didn't you become a professional to play me?"_ he had called out desperately to the disappearing figure. Shindou had _ran_, ran away from him, never answering that question, at least, not verbally.

Then mysteriously, a couple months later, Shindou met him after one of his games, telling him that he wasn't going to quit after all. Then they played their first game since three years, and wordlessly Shindou answered him that question—or at least Akira thought he did.

It was with hesitation and confusion that Akira once again went over that game in his mind. He had used Shindou's skill to judge…Shindou's go. Should he have done that?

He believed Shindou was his destined rival, had believed it from the first time he played him that fateful day in the go salon, but the question now is, did Shindou believe that too?

Because after the reappearance of Sai, Touya Akira was starting to put two and two together. The only thing that could have upset Shindou enough to want to quit go was Sai; he had sensed that when he saw their interaction. Conversely, the only thing that could have brought him back to go was Sai. Was Sai Shindou's goal then? Had Shindou's passionate efforts to reach him only been the stepping stone to a much larger goal?

Touya paused in the middle of the street, the question temporarily paralyzing him with fear. Shindou had beaten him today, and it was at that moment Sai decided to show up. Perhaps it indicated something…or maybe it didn't. He walked forward a couple of steps, and paused once more. What if it did? He took a couple steps backwards again. Did Sai show up to take his place as Shindou's rival, or was it for some other reason? No it couldn't possibly be. Sai's level in go was at a completely different level. Shindou, even as Akira's equal, was still no match for Sai. Akira turned and leaned against the wall of a convenience store, still deep in thought. He didn't realize that he was getting odd looks from people who passed him, but then again, Touya Akira wasn't the type to notice anything that wasn't go related.

But Shindou had been has rival, even when he was far from his level of go at the time. Perhaps Sai knew this, knew that Shindou had the talent to surpass everybody else, and had been waiting for the moment when Shindou had taken his first step in that direction.

This wasn't a possibility Akira liked to contemplate. He didn't like the idea of just being a stepping stone either, but those two possibilities loomed largely in his mind and gave his stomach an uncharacteristic jump. Then it did another uncharacteristic thing—it decided to growl. Akira normally didn't eat immediately after a game—the adrenaline from it took a while to leave, making it impossible to even _think_ of eating—but his thoughts had taken up so much energy that his body was now demanding that he make up for the lack. As if to further encourage him, his legs propelled him in the direction of the nearest restaurant. With his mind too worried to fight, Akira walked into the restaurant, deciding that he could continue to think about this problem while taking care of his bodily needs. But it appeared that his subconscious had something else in mind.

"Another bowl of ramen please!"

"Hikaru, that's the fifth bowl you're having," a new yet familiar voice said.

"That doesn't matter. _You_ had four! Besides, I need to celebrate Touya's defeat!"

"Hikaru! That was inappropriate."

"Aw, but it's not like it would matter. Touya's not here anyways."

For some reason Shindou's words irritated him to no end, and Touya Akira stepped forward, tapping the obnoxious boy resolutely on the shoulder.

"Who isn't here?" he asked, his words quiet, but containing just the barest hint of annoyance.

"Gah! T-T-T-T-_Touya_! Man, why do you always have to pop up out of nowhere and frighten the heck outa me?"

Touya looked at him coolly, ignoring the question like he usually did.

"I'm glad you decided to join us," Sai said, no doubt sensing the tension around Akira. "Are you hungry? The beef ramen is good."

"Yeah, seeing as you ate so much of it," Hikaru quipped, grinning smugly at Sai.

Akira sat down next to them, quietly observing the two. There was no point wasting his time worrying when the answers were close by. In go, Akira never let himself into the position where he could only defend. He preferred to attack, and Akira intended to keep it that way in real life too. There were answers. All he had to do was look.

* * *

When they arrived at the Japanese Go Institute early the next morning, Ogata was already there waiting for him, as was Waya. Word of Sai's match with Ogata must have spread rapidly, because in addition to those two, there were countless other spectators as well, including, Sai noted quietly, news reporters.

"Ogata Jyudan," he greeted politely, bowing slightly as he did so.

"Fujiwarano Sai," Ogata said, just as polite, but Sai could sense the energy and eagerness in his tone, just as Ogata could sense his, no doubt. It will be his first game since…when? Hikaru had told them while they were eating that he had disappeared shortly before last year's Young Lion's Tournament, which made it just a little over a year. Too long then. It wasn't as long as it had been the first two times, but it was still too long. Sai followed Ogata into the general playing area, where professionals and amateurs could both play go. Well, that made sense. This wasn't an official game after all, but Sai thought that Ogata would have wanted to keep the game private.

"Wow…look at all the people who've come to see you play, Sai," Hikaru whispered. He looked up at his mentor and met his eyes. "Are you happy, Sai?"

"How could I not be?" Sai replied, just as softly. "Kami-sama has given me the ultimate gift. A body."

Hikaru turned to look at him again, but the moving crowd prevented him from replying. They had arrived at a place near the end of the table, far away from the door, back in the corner. So Ogata had wanted to keep this game out of the way after all, but with the number of people watching, it was probably going to do the opposite. Sai smiled to himself. To play again! To feel the go stones beneath his fingertips, to hear the sound as it hit the board and have people know that it was _him_ playing, to have them acknowledge Sai—not Torajirou, not Hikaru—it was a wonderful feeling, and one he looked forward to.

He pulled out a chair and sat down, while Ogata mirrored his movement in front of him. Someone shifted behind him, and Sai realized that Hikaru had moved slightly to allow others to see. In front of him, Akira copied Hikaru's movements. This caused him to smile again. Akira had been watching the two of them like a hawk last evening, probably looking for answers. Luckily he hadn't come earlier, otherwise the poor young man would have more questions than he could handle!

"_So why are you back now Sai? Why did Kami-sama allow you to return with a body?"_

_"I am not quite sure, but I was under the impression that the time to reach the Hand of God was drawing close."_

_"So you _are_ going to make the Divine Move!"_

_"That's…not certain. I think I'm back for another purpose as well."_

_"What?"_

_"For your rival, Hikaru. Touya Akira. I think I've come back for him."_

Sai remembered the old adage: Kami-sama works in mysterious ways. Sai only had feelings of what he _thinks_ Kami-sama wants him to do, but how to accomplish that…_that_, he had no idea. After all, it hadn't been until the moment Hikaru had pointed out the game determining move between him and the Meijin that he finally realized what his purpose had been. Whatever it was he was supposed to do, Sai supposed that he should just be himself. Kami-sama will let him know at the right time, through flashes of intuition and hunches—and knowing what he knew, he probably wouldn't be aware that that was what they were. Kami-sama working in mysterious ways indeed!

Giving him a body had been a first though. Sai was not sure why Kami-sama was being so generous, but he intended to savor every moment of it before the inevitable end drew near. It didn't matter how Kami-sama had done it. The great Being _had_, and that was all that mattered. It wouldn't do to question his motives, as the only reward from that would probably be an aching head from knowing more than he wanted to know.

He sat down in a straight, dignified posture, and smiled. The chairs of the Go Institute had just enough padding to prevent an aching rear, but Sai wouldn't have minded an aching rear at the moment. After coming back to this world, he found himself wanting to reaffirm his new life in every way possible, even if the process was slightly uncomfortable. An aching rear was welcome.

"Shall we begin?" Ogata Jyudan asked.

"Hai. Nigiri?" Sai replied, his hands motioning toward the closed gokke in the center.

"All right, nigiri."

Ogata dug his hands into his gokke to draw out a fistful of white stones without hesitation, and held them over the board, waiting for Sai to pick his one or two stones. But as Sai reached to touch the lid, he found his hands shaking. It took effort to pick up the one stone he had been intending to hold, and when he finally managed to do so, he dropped it ungracefully onto the board with a loud clatter. It skittered across the table and hit the ground near Ogata, Sai's face pale and white as it did so.

Ogata gave him a surprised look, but picked it up without question. He held it out to him.

"Sumimasen," Sai said softly.

"Sai? Daijoubu? Sai," Hikaru said from behind. The young boy was worried. "Do…do you want me to hold the stones for you?" he asked hesitantly, quietly. It was doubtful that anyone else but him had heard it.

Hold the stones for him! Was this Kami-sama's price then? Was he to still be unable to touch a go stone, even though he now possessed a physical body? That was almost too much to bear.

"I'll try again," he said softly back, and felt Hikaru's hand on his shoulder. The boy had either matured, or he was feeling uncertain and wanted reassurance by touching him. Either way, the touch was just what he needed. It was the physical reassurance that he was in the realm of the living as one of them, and Sai reached to take the one stone from Ogata's still outstretched hand. This time his hand did not shake, and he felt the tension from both him and Hikaru disappear.

Sai watched Ogata count the stones. It was odd, which meant Sai had guessed right.

"Komi is now 6.5 moku," Ogata told him. Sai nodded. So komi had increased again, which would make it difficult, but Sai had never lost with black, and didn't intend to.

"_Onegaishimasu_."

Sai placed his stone firmly in the upper right komoku, and the game began.

* * *

Pachi

Hikaru watched the game play out between the two men with bright, glowing eyes. As a beautiful pattern of black and white stones appeared, Hikaru noticed the joy on his mentor's face, an aura of light that outshone everybody else's. No one loved go more than Sai, just as no one could possibly understand the depth of his love more than Hikaru.

Ogata played a brilliant move on the board; it was a well-calculated move that attacked and protected at the same time, cutting Sai's group of stones in the center from the rest. Now Sai will have to take great care in his next moves to create life for himself, lest all the stones he had taken pains to place will all die. Hikaru took a deep breath in admiration for the Jyudan title holder. Ogata was playing very well against Sai, almost as challenging as the former Meijin himself. But Hikaru knew Sai well, and knew that the man would not take such a move sitting down.

Sai brought the fan he carried to his lips, smiling in quiet delight. No doubt it was both because he was playing what he loved most, and had such a wonderful opponent to hone his skills against. His lids of his eyes lowered in contemplation for the next move, and several minutes past as he thought out the next several series of moves.

Pachi

The emotion on Sai's face didn't change in the slightest, but for everyone else, theirs changed plenty. Sai had done the one thing that Ogata Jyudan hadn't foreseen, and that was a move that effectively attacked another group of Ogata's stones—a group too important for the man to ignore. While Ogata tries to protect, Sai will whittle away at the Jyudan's territory, and save his own threatened group in the center by connecting to the left side. It was the perfect move, and nothing short of amazing.

"It's like Shuusaku's Illuminating Move," Hikaru heard two go players behind him converse in quiet awe.

"Why haven't any of us ever heard of him before?" another whispered.

"Why isn't he a pro?"

Hikaru turned his attention back on the game, but silently pleased. It was about time Sai deserved some recognition, and after this game, he was probably going to get even more. Because he, like every other pro, could tell that Sai had made the move that determined the result of the game. All Ogata could do now was try to shorten the difference in points, and that was assuming he wanted to. If Hikaru had been the one Sai had made such a move against, Hikaru knew that he'd probably lose all will to continue, knowing the vast difference in skill between them. Ogata was showing a great deal of mettle however, and although the knuckles on his hands became a little whiter, and his face a little more strained, he continued to play.

Pachi

Pachi

Thirty moves later, the game was finished. Ogata Jyudan had impressively tried closed the gap, but it wasn't enough. He lost be 4.5 moku, including komi.

"Makemashita," he said, wiping the perspiration from his forehead.

"Arigatou gozaimashita," Sai replied, smiling. "It was a wonderful game. You made so many thoughtful, beautiful moves. I've never been happier." The sincerity in his voice silenced whatever Ogata was about to say, and he took off his glasses to ease through the silence.

"You say that my moves are beautiful, but compared to yours…" he finally said. And he made a motion over the board as if to prove his point. "I feel like an inexperienced child. That one move…"

"Came by as a stroke of intuition and pure luck, nothing more," Sai said humbly.

"If only I had such intuition and luck," Ogata replied with a wry smile. He fixed his frames back on the bridge of his nose, and leaned forward. "Shall we discuss the game?"

"Certainly. Shall we start from the beginning?"

The crowd, if it was possible, tightened even further. Now that they knew the extent of Sai's ability, they were all eager to listen in, excited to hear the insight this mysterious young man had to offer. And Sai was probably the happiest of them all.

* * *

"Waya, shall we play after lunch?" Sai asked when the discussion came to a brief end. It was, as far as discussions went, not a very long one, but in front of so many people, such a thing would be hard to do. Most of the spectators will separate to discuss the game in further detail after lunch. Perhaps some will stay hoping to catch a glimpse of Sai's second game, but from the way Waya was starting to turn a faint shade of green, that was unlikely. Now that Waya had seen the extent of Sai's ability, he was rapidly losing his young-boy enthusiasm, it now being replaced with nervousness and a generous dose of fear.

"Uuuuuh…" the young pro stammered, paling.

Sai chuckled, but made it plain that it wasn't at Waya's expense, but more at something Waya reminded him of. Waya returned Sai's chuckle with a strained smile of his own.

"We can do it somewhere private if you want," he offered. "Think of it as a lesson from Morishita-sensei," he added.

Color returned in an instant, as Waya gave Sai a look of incredulity.

"How do you know who Morishita-sensei is?" he asked.

"Hikaru goes with you to Morishita Nine-dan's study group doesn't he? Of course I know who he is," Sai answered, giving Hikaru a warning look. Hikaru looked ready to snicker.

"Oh," Waya said. "Well, how about playing at my place? It's not much, but…"

"I'd be happy to," Sai said.

"R-really? All right then."

The look of relief on Waya's face was so explicit that warning or no, Hikaru couldn't resist any longer.

"Heheh…not afraid of Sai are you, Waya?" he goaded. The smug look on his face was not something the elder pro could tolerate. More color returned to Waya's face, until he was flushed pink from head to toe.

"U-urusai!" he snapped.

"Which reminds me," Hikaru said, now contentedly ignoring Waya's flushed face, "Where did Touya go? He might want to watch this too."

"_Touya…?_ Shindou don't you dare…!" came Waya's indignant shouts, but Hikaru was already walking away, wondering where Touya had gone.

He caught up to him just as the serious young man was about to reach the elevator.

"Touya! Oi! Touya! Wait up!"

Touya turned around, his face cold and unreadable.

"Shindou," he said politely, something that turned Hikaru off at once. He hated it when the other pro was like this. It was already hard enough to talk to him—he didn't have to make it worse!

But he persisted in asking Touya anyways.

"Hey, do you want to meet up at Waya's after lunch? Sai's going to play him then, and there's sure to be a discussion after that," Hikaru said, stubbornly disregarding Touya's cold expression.

"Waya? Is he the other boy who became a pro along with you and Ochi?" Touya asked, his coldness not lessening a bit.

"Uh…yeah."

"He doesn't like me very much does he?" Touya answered. The tone of his voice indicated that it wasn't a question.

"Well…yeah, but…" Touya gave him an even colder look at his admittance. "Look, he just doesn't know you very well, and I'm you'll like him after getting to know him too," he said obstinately, a childish pout forming on his face. What was Touya's problem? Why was he trying to be so difficult for no reason whatsoever? "And besides, Sai's going to be there too. He'll make sure nothing will happen," he finally added.

Touya now became unreadable.

"You know him very well…Sai," he finally said. "How long have you known him?"

"Uhhh…a long time," Hikaru answered, not sure where this was going.

"Do you play him often?"

"Well, I haven't played him in a year, but before that, yeah, I played him every night," Hikaru said honestly.

"I see. So you're telling me that you played him until last year before the Young Lion's Tournament?" Touya asked.

That wasn't what Hikaru had said, but it was the truth, so he nodded.

"Why?"

"Why…Wha—?"

"Why did you stop playing with him last year?"

"Because I _couldn't_!" Hikaru said frustratedly. Honestly, what was Touya's problem? He was being really weird today. Actually, he'd been weird every since Sai arrived, and Hikaru couldn't imagine why. Surely, Touya as enthusiastic about go as he was, would be happy to meet a great player like Sai. Then what…"

"All right," Touya said, giving away nothing. "I'll see you tomorrow at the second preliminaries for the Kisei match."

He walked into the elevator that had just opened, leaving Hikaru to stare open-mouthed at the other boy.

"Oi! Touya! Wait! You never said…!" he shouted.

But the elevator doors had closed, shutting Touya away from view. And much to Hikaru's confusion, the boy hadn't even _faced _him.

Really, what was Touya's problem?


	4. Chapter Three: Sai's Rival

Author's Notes: It's been a long time hasn't it? Life got the better of me for a while, and I think I was discouraged when I saw a similar fic come out that became more popular than mine. It had slash in it, and as mine's gen, I became bitter. Sorry. Haha, I'm such an insecure, conceited person. I promise to try to be more consistent in my updates this time.

As always, comments, and criticisms are always appreciated. If somebody feels a need to flame, be my guest. Enjoy.

**  
Chapter Three: Sai's Rival**

"Sai…has come back?" Touya Kouyo said, hesitancy and disbelief etched in every single syllable. His wife Akiko sat on the sofa behind him, knowing that whoever Sai was, he can only be related to go. Only go can induce the kind of passion and excitement that she was witnessing before her eyes. She walked back to the kitchen and began to prepare dinner; mealtimes were a good time to talk, and her husband was going to want to after he was done with the phone. Kouyo may normally be a man of few words, but judging from the way his eyes positively glowed, his behavior was going to be an exception to the rule today. She was right. By the time he finished, night had fallen, and she was setting the table.

"What is it, anata?" she said, placing the chopsticks and waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Akiko, I know you had been looking forward to sightseeing and a bit of shopping after I finish my tour with the Chinese go team," he began.

Akiko smiled in understanding. She knew that if she pushed the matter, he would stay, just for her, but that would be selfish, and Akiko was anything but that.

"Anata, this has not been our only trip to China. There will be many more future trips to China, and I can always do my shopping and sightseeing then. If it is something important, then we should go back. Besides, I miss…"

"Akira, yes. I know how much you dote on him."

"As if you don't do the same," she teased, rewarded by Kouyo's brief smile, as rare as the desert rain.

"He is a good boy. A good go player," he said, high praise indeed coming from the former Meijin.

"So who is this Sai you are so eager to play?"

Touya Kouyo fell silent, but Akiko knew that it wasn't because she had offended him. Her husband often kept quiet council, not because he didn't feel that she could understand, but because he too was trying to understand himself. He was not the type of man to explain things before he had thought it through completely. For a man as careful as her husband, this could take a while. Akiko waited patiently for his explanation.

"Do you remember the time I asked you to leave me alone at the hospital…?"

* * *

The first thing that Hikaru wondered about after the game with Ogata-sensei was where Sai lived. In the excitement of yesterday he had forgotten about it, and Sai had been adamant about making Hikaru go home.

"I am not going to disappear. Your parents are going to worry," he'd scolded. Still struggling with the numerous insecurities regarding the sudden appearance of his dear friend, Hikaru had whined, but then obeyed. When Sai wanted something Hikaru later remembered grudgingly, he often got it.

Today, as they walked together out of the go salon toward Waya's tiny apartment, the subject of living space inevitably came up.

"What kind of place to you live in Sai?" Waya said, attempting at small talk. Unfortunately it backfired.

"Live?" Sai repeated, surprised .

Hikaru turned around with a start, just as surprised.

"Well…" Sai said. He paused on the sidewalk for a few seconds while Hikaru and Waya waited curiously for an answer. "I live in an apartment just like yours Waya!" He smiled happily.

"Y-you do?" Hikaru said in slight disbelief.

"Not that I haven't seen Waya's apartment," Sai said thoughtfully. "But I do _live_ in an apartment. Interesting isn't it?"

Waya gave Hikaru a questioning look, being the only one ignorant of Sai's past nature. Hikaru didn't say anything, but he pondered Sai's answer throughout the walk to Waya's.

Little had changed in Waya's apartment since the last time Hikaru was there, which had been just over a week ago. The walls were still old and crumbly, and the room was just as bare and plain as it was before. Waya's unmade bed stood against one wall, and the low-rise table in the middle room was only slightly taller than the go board and go stones standing next to it. In fact, if there was anything that could be said as neat, the go board and the go bowls would be the only items that came close to matching that description.

"Ooh! Go board!" Sai said. He raced to the go board like a child and ran a pale hand across its surface. "With legs!"

"Sai!" Hikaru shouted. As if a year had never past, he reacted to Sai's enthusiasm the same way he used to. "It's not like you've never seen a go board before!"

"But I haven't touched one…a _real_ one in so long!"

At this Hikaru fell silent, and the two shared another silent glance of mutual understanding.

"Yeah. You haven't, have you? Not one with legs. I've always had to hold the go stones for you," Hikaru said quietly.

"Why?"

"Eh?" The boy did a double take, and grinned nervously, having temporarily forgotten where he was. Waya stood in the doorway, confusion written all over his face.

"Why couldn't Sai hold the stones by himself?" Waya asked again.

"Er…why? Ummm…that's because Sai was…Sai was…"

"Sick!" For a moment there was panic that was almost comical on Sai's face. "I was sick for a very, very long time."

"Oh." The answer sobered the atmosphere rather quickly. Waya removed his shoes and closed the door behind him. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…" Waya flushed, looking around the room idly before remembering that he was to play a game. He took the seat at the opposite end of the go board, but his eyes did not quite dare to meet Sai's eyes.

"Oh no, it's okay! Everything became all right once I met Hikaru," Sai reassured him cheerfully. "Hikaru was always very kind, helping me when I wasn't feeling…too well."

"Heeeeh, I wouldn't have thought that of you, Hikaru. You're too clueless."

"What does that have to do with me being kind!" Hikaru demanded. Scowling, he took his place behind Sai.

"You're right, it doesn't," Waya agreed amiably. "Still, I wouldn't have thought you to be the type of person to help someone sick and ailing."

"Well…I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter," Hikaru said, this time careful to let only Sai hear. Sai ignored the grumbling, his shining face only on the go board before him.

"Let's play, let's play!"

Hikaru suspected that Sai was resisting the urge to clap. The idea amused him, and he contentedly sat back to watch Waya's inevitable defeat.

* * *

"So, if I had gone here instead, then you would have been forced to respond…I see." Waya smacked his head in frustration. "Man, after all those years and I'm _still_ not a match for you!"

Sai smiled. The game hadn't gone more than halfway before Waya resigned. Waya hadn't done badly, but as Sai can out read his every move, the conclusion was foregone before the game had even started.

"Hikaru hasn't beaten me either."

"No, I suppose not. If even the former Meijin lost to you, I don't think any of us can stand a chance," Waya said. "But still, I'd have liked to put up a better fight. Like Ogata Jyudan."

"Hikaru, how about a game?" Sai asked.

"Uhhh…"

"Ahah! You're just as frightened as _I_ am," Waya said. He pointed a triumphant finger even as he stood up and moved to the side.

"Am not! Don't compare me with you," Hikaru snapped. Taking Waya's place in as dignified a manner as possible, he grabbed the go bowl closest to him and placed it down on the floor next to him. "Besides, I used to play him tons of times every night."

"So you _were_ his student! Why'd you lie to me?"

"I wasn't!" Sai began to shake in silent laughter, and was rewarded with a dark glare. "Sai never taught me. He just likes crushing me to tiny little pieces whenever we play. That's not very teacherly if you ask me."

"But you didn't have to say you never knew him. I could have kept Sai a secret."

"I had to though!"

"Why?"

"Because he was…because he was sick of course!" Hikaru said, remembering Sai's earlier excuse. "What do you think would have happened if someone had overheard our conversation? They would have tried to look for Sai. Think of what would have happened!"

"Oh…" Waya frowned, taking in all the implications. "That would have been bad."

Now warming up to his lie, Hikaru gave an emphatic nod, and held up a finger to make another point. "Precisely! I couldn't have complete strangers mobbing Sai when he was too sick to even hold a go stone. That would have been horrible of me, and I'm _not_."

"I guess," Waya said, shrugging. "I'll forgive you. It still would have been nice to know though."

"Well, Sai's here now," Hikaru said with an air of an old man. Sai was still struggling not to laugh out loud. "Sai, _nigiri_."

"I think, Hikaru," Sai finally manage to say, when they had determined that Hikaru would be black and had placed their opening moves, "that if you hadn't become interested in go, you would have made an excellent, _excellent_ lawyer." Then unable to hold it in any longer, he burst into open laughter, Hikaru's shout of outrage and Waya's blank look soon adding to the scene.

Eventually, the game resumed, but only after the occupants of the neighboring rooms started to voice loud complaints. Newly chastised and complacent, the three played go until four in the morning before one by one they dropped off in exhausted sleep.

* * *

Akira looked up from his replaying of kifu. The sliding of _shouji_ screens surprised him from his study, as he couldn't, for a minute, quite figure out who would be coming to visit him so early in the morning. Then all too familiar voices floated from the doorway, leading Akira to abandon his books to stare in utter disbelief at the people he hadn't expected to see until two weeks later, at least.

"_Otou-san_? _Okaa-san_?"

"Ah, Akira-san. We're home," Akiko said. Standing around two small luggage cases, she smiled warmly at the sight of her son.

"Welcome home, okaa-san."

"Did anything happen while we were away?" his father asked, looking like returning two weeks early from a trip was a normal, everyday sort of affair.

Perhaps it was because the scene itself was already odd enough, but the odd tone of voice his father used to voice such a normal question keyed Akira to the answer for his parents' sudden return. Akira froze, realizing that Sai's reappearance would have been the only thing that could have driven his father to abandon other responsibilities.

"Ogata-san called you to tell you that he played Sai, didn't he?" Akira said.

"Ara, so you've met him?" Akiko said, correctly deducing the real answer from Akira's response. "What is he like?"

"Okaa-san? You know about Sai too?"

"Your father told me all about him last night," she explained, taking her shoes off and lining them up neatly before the step into the house.

"I see."

"Ogata-kun did call me last night, yes," Akira's father confirmed. "I look forward to seeing him replay the game for me later today."

"I was there too, otou-san. I can replay it for you."

"No, that is fine," Touya-sensei said. "I will see it later. There is no need to do it now."

Still standing awkwardly at the doorway, Akira suddenly remembered his manners.

"I'll go make tea, unless you want me to help you carry anything in?"

"Oh no, Akira-san. We'll be just fine. I'll go make tea right now." With that his mother padded down the hallway, her light footsteps as she left them, the sound comforting in their familiarity.

"Otou-san, are you sure you don't…?"

"I'll be fine. I'm sure our sudden arrival must have interrupted your studying. I'll be all right carrying these by myself," he said, reaching to grab both cases by himself. "Next time I return from China though, you may have to help though. I promised your mother that we will make up the shopping missed this time by taking a longer trip for the next one."

Akira found himself smiling at the idea of his parents acting like tourists. His mother had always wanted to see the Great China Wall, and imagining her happy smile as she scaled its walkways with his father cheered him up briefly. He had in the beginning, like everybody else, worried when his father had announced his retirement, but by the way his father was enjoying himself, it looked like the choice for retirement was for the better.

"You know that Ogata-san didn't…he didn't play Sai on the internet, right?" Akira finally blurted.

The former Meijin carried the cases easily, the dignified expression on his face never changing as he headed toward the room he and his wife shared.

"I know," he said quietly, passing Akira by.

Perhaps it was effect of the pale morning light streaming through the white paper of the _shouji _screen doors, but to Akira at that moment, his father appeared younger than he had ever remembered him.


End file.
